Depression As Risk Factor of Alzheimer’s

A new study supports the idea that depression is truly a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease rather than a subtle early sign of its underlying pathology.

Investigators from Rush University Medical Center sought to determine if depressive symptoms actually contribute to the development of dementia (risk factor hypothesis) or are a consequence of the disease (reverse causality hypothesis.)

The research emanates from numerous observational studies that show higher levels of depressive symptoms in old age are associated with increased incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment.

The study is published in the April issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Robert S. Wilson, PhD, a neuropsychologist at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, and colleagues examined data from the Rush Religious Orders Study, a cohort of 917 older Catholic clergy without dementia at study onset, to examine the change in depressive symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease before and after the emergence of the cognitive symptoms of the disease.

For up to 13 years, the study participants underwent annual clinical evaluations that included assessment of depressive symptoms, cognitive testing, and clinical classification of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease. During the study period, 190 participants developed Alzheimer’s disease.

Consistent with earlier findings in the Rush Religious Orders Study, having more depressive symptoms at baseline was associated with increased incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and MCI.

However, the study found that those who developed Alzheimer’s disease showed no increase in depressive symptoms before clinical diagnosis. Researchers were able to observe patients during a mean of approximately four years before the onset of dementia. Additionally, researchers saw no increase in depression during the three to four years preceding the onset of MCI, which antedates the onset of dementia by several years.

“If depressive symptoms are a consequence of dementia or a reaction to declining function, depressive symptoms would likely increase at some point before dementia is clinically evident,” said Wilson. “We observed no such increase.”

The study also found that even after the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease was made there was no general increase in depression, but rather an increase that was confined to individuals with certain personality traits.

“Depressive symptoms may be associated with distinctive changes in the brain that somehow reduce neural reserve, which is the brain’s ability to tolerate the pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Wilson.

“Understanding how depression contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease may suggest new approaches to disease prevention.”

Related Articles

Rick Nauert PhD

Dr. Rick Nauert has over 25 years experience in clinical, administrative and academic healthcare. He is currently an associate professor for Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals doctoral program in health promotion and wellness. Dr. Nauert began his career as a clinical physical therapist and served as a regional manager for a publicly traded multidisciplinary rehabilitation agency for 12 years. He has masters degrees in health-fitness management and healthcare administration and a doctoral degree from The University of Texas at Austin focused on health care informatics, health administration, health education and health policy. His research efforts included the area of telehealth with a specialty in disease management.